Huge demand drives global carbon fiber manufacturers to announce expansion plans

Drying equipment

According to Luo Yifeng, director of the National Special Synthetic Fiber Information Center of China National Drying Network , the global carbon fiber (CF) market is showing a general warming trend. According to the forecast of carbon fiber giant Japan Toray, in 2012, the world's carbon fiber demand will increase by 16%, and the average annual growth rate in the next three years will reach 20% to 30%. Carbon fiber is one of the most important reinforcing phases of composite materials . All countries in the world have taken carbon fiber materials as an important strategic move. However, for the carbon fiber industry, the overcast cloud of the international financial crisis has entered a winter period when the operating rate is insufficient. When will the carbon fiber industry come? At the 2012 National Conference on Carbon Fiber Industry Development (Jilin) ​​held recently, experts analyzed the status quo and prospects of the global carbon fiber industry. Experts said that if the application is not expanded as quickly as possible, the demand-to-capacity ratio may not reach 50% by 2020.

In 2012, Toray’s sales in the three main markets including aerospace, industrial and sporting goods are expected to increase by 20%, and at full capacity in PAN-CF production bases in Japan, the United States, and France. In the production state, the 2,200-ton/year production line in South Korea will be put into production in early 2013 and its total production capacity will reach 27,000 tons by 2015.

Huge demand has driven global carbon fiber manufacturers to announce plans for expansion. Toray plans to increase its annual production capacity to 27,100 tons by 2015; the German SGL company's plant in the United States has also been put into operation with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons. As of May 2010, a total of 36 companies in China have constructed or are currently constructing carbon fiber precursor production facilities, of which 7110 tons of raw silk capacity and 3,342 tons of carbonization capacity have been built; 32,000 tons of raw silk capacity is under construction, and the carbonization capacity under construction is 1.48. 10,000 tons; plans to build raw silk capacity of 68,000 tons, carbon fiber production capacity of 31,500 tons, Sinopec, China Chemical Industry , China Building Materials, China Hengtian, Shougang International, etc. are involved in this area, by 2015, the global carbon fiber production capacity will exceed 15 million tons.

However, due to the global economic downturn, global carbon fiber consumption dropped below 30,000 tons in 2009. With the economic recovery, demand increased to about 38,000 tons in 2011. At present, the annual global carbon fiber production capacity is approximately 100,000 tons, and the demand only accounts for 38% of the production capacity, which means that most of the companies suffer losses.

Taking carbon fiber companies in Japan, the United States, and Europe as examples, 2008 was the best year for the development of carbon fiber in Japan. The sales of the three carbon fiber giants reached 170 billion yen, operating profit reached 36 billion yen, and the gross profit rate reached 20 %, Earnings Before Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) reached 30%. However, from 2009 to 2011, the operating rate is generally around 50%. In recent years, all three companies have had a slight surplus or even a loss.

It is predicted that the world's carbon fiber demand will increase by about 13% annually. Even so, by 2020, the demand capacity ratio will still be less than 50%. Some experts said that if the forecast is established, it will take ten years or even longer.

Faced with the dilemma of excess production capacity and low operating rate, while continuously stimulating market demand, major companies have spared no effort to expand the application of carbon fiber and composite materials.

According to statistics of Lucintel, a US market research company, in the global carbon fiber consumption in 2010, sporting goods and leisure equipment accounted for 18% to 20% of the entire carbon fiber market. The rest are mainly used in aerospace, commercial, and industrial fields. Among them, the application of carbon fiber in the industrial field has not yet fully grown up, and it is most promising to obtain greater growth in the future.

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